On the night of the 14th (the night before Passover begins), there is a mitzva to search all the places in the home where ĥametz might be. These include the kitchen and living room and all the rooms where people eat, as well as any room, porch, or storage space where people sometimes bring ĥametz. Even if the home was cleaned well for Passover, everywhere relevant must still be searched to confirm that everywhere was properly cleaned. Even when someone sold one’s ĥametz to a non-Jew, one must still search to confirm that the sold ĥametz has been put away and there is no chance people will come across it and eat it by mistake.
A candle or flashlight is used for the search, so ĥametz in hard-to-see corners can be found. Before beginning the search, we recite this blessing: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His mitzvot and commanded us about destroying leaven.”
